US Open 2019: Rafael Nadal beats Marin Cilic to make quarter-finals
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By Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport at Flushing Meadows
Second seed Rafael Nadal responded to the challenge as he battled to achieve the US Open thrown by 2014 champion Marin Cilic.
Nadal, 33, ultimately had too high quality at a 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-2 victory in New York for the Croatian 22nd seed.
30, cilic , briefly rediscovered his form to degree.
Nadal, the Grand Slam champion, will perform with 20th seed Diego Schwartzman in the last eight.
“For a few minutes in the second group I believed there were too many things in his hands, he was pushing me more aggression than me, and he hit every ball very strong,” said Nadal.
“Then second group I believed something should change or I would be in his palms. I began to return the second function within the court and that created a different perspective.”
Novak Djokovic retired wounded from his match against Stan Wawrinka on Sunday, Nadal is regarded as the favourite for the title of the men alongside Swiss Roger Federer.
Nadal is intending to close the gap into 20-time major winner Federer with his fourth title at Flushing Meadows.
The illustrious pair remain on course to match in Sunday’s final which are the first meeting in New York in the competition.
First Nadal has to watch off by beating West seed Alexander Zverev, Schwartzman, who reached the final eight years for the second time.
Federer, 38, plays with his quarter-final against the Grigor Dimitrov at approximately 02:00 BST on Wednesday of Bulgaria.
Nadal encountered few issues in a simple opening series to see his range is found by that the Cilic because he immobilized the Spaniard back and cut down to the errors again.
Cilic has looked a shadow of the player who was a constant fixture within the planet’s top 10, to him sliding to his lowest position in over five decades, a knee injury in 2018 contributing.
That form returned since he supported them up with pinpoint winners to level the game and pushed back Nadal with heavy groundstrokes.
Nevertheless the momentum was dragged away from him by some remarkable returning within an game of the third set from Nadal.
Nadal scurried forward to reach a drop shot and then made a twirling overhead topping that by returning a smash which Cilic must have buried until swatting away a cross-court backhand winner for three break points.
As Ashe rose to acclaim the genius of this Spaniard, Tiger Woods, who animatedly supported Nadal during, leapt to his feet.
A Cilic limply handed over the break with a double fault, producing a different as Nadal broke to get a 5-1 lead to a lead on his own way.
That problem returned in the first game of the fourth group to break point, giving Nadal a vital break he doubled for a 4-0 lead after watching a break point.
We all hope was lost for Cilic by there, Nadal teeing up game point with a forehand winner across the net article which left Ashe incredulous again until he wrapped up victory in 2 hours and 49 minutes.
Lady Erika Rosenbaum explains her experience
Analysis and view from the tennis correspondent of the BBC.
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